B.T.L. introduces ?Hotspots?
This morning Belize Telecommunications Limited launched the newest addition to its high-speed internet service: wireless access. Dubbed “Hotspots”, B.T.L. customers can now connect to the web in designated zones without the benefit of an umbilical cord. The company says the service will initially be available only at the Great House in Belize City and at the Philip Goldson International Airport in Ladyville, but plans are already in motion to put hotspots all over the country. This morning, Senior Marketing Representative Lisa Standford told News Five the service is hot because with the speed of one meg, the connection to the internet is fast and–just as important–easy.
Lisa Standford, Senior Marketing Rep., B.T.L.
?It?s very user friendly, taking into consideration the target market which are business travellers who come from the U.S. and they are already in tune with the hotspot locations. So basically the customer just need to open their browser and the hotspot splash page is going to show up and that?s the only way they could go to get on the internet. So they would have to chose a method, if it?s the prepaid card they want to use or the credit card which is–we are only using the credit card for launch, so that?s the only option that they have for today. So they just follow the instructions, put in all the necessary information and they are on the internet.?
?The customer doesn?t need to be locked up in their room in order to use the internet, they could go to the bar, they could take their laptops with them, they could get on the internet. They could be eating at the restaurant and be on the internet. They could go in the bathroom, take in their laptops and they are able to be on the internet. Access points is anywhere in the hotspot location; they have one hundred percent mobility.?
Suzette Tillett, Public Relations Manager, B.T.L.
?Customers do need internet, especially travelling customers, mainly tourists and business customers. You come to a country, you need internet access to do your business and so forth, and we are answering that call.?
?This location, the first location will be at the Great House and we?re planning to roll it out in phases. The Great House and the airport are two locations that we presently have and we?re planning as soon as different hotels come on board they will be available at different hotels in the different areas. What the service does is compliments what some larger hotels already have, high speed internet access in the rooms and it compliments that service for maybe the smaller hotel or a large hotel might want it near their pool area, that?s what basically hotspot does.?
According to the company reps, prepaid Hotspot cards will be available by the end of the month. We understand that a twenty-four hour block of wireless internet access will cost customers thirty-two dollars and forty cents.
